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Vehicle  Symbols 
These  are  some of the  symbols  you  may  find on your vehicle. 
For example, 
these symbols  are  used  on  an 
original  battery: 
POSSIBLE A 
CAUTION 
INJURY 
PROTECT  EYES  BY 
SHIELDING 
CAUSTIC 
BURNS AVOID 
SPARKS 
OR 
FLAMES 
SPARK OR ,\[I, 
COULD  FLAME 
EXPLODE  BATTERY 
These symbols are important 
for  you  and 
your  passengers 
whenever  your 
vehicle  is 
driven: 
n 
FASTEN 
SEAT 
BELTS 
q4 
AIR  BAG p 
These symbols 
have  to do with 
your  lamps: 
SIGNALS e 
TURN 
PARKING  LAMPS 
FOG  LAMPS 
$0 
These symbols 
are 
on some  of 
your  controls: 
WINDSHIELD 
WIPER 
WINDSHIELD  DEFROSTER 
WINDOW 
DEFOGGER 
VENTILATING 
~3 
FAN 
These symbols  are used 
on 
warning and indicator lights: 
COOLANT - 
TEMP - 
CHARGING  BATTERY 
SYSTEM 
BRAKE 
(0) 
h 
COOLANT 
ENGINE  OIL 
w, 
PRESSURE 
ANTI-LOCK 
(@) 
BRAKES 
Here are some 
other symbols 
you  may  see: 
FUSE 
P 
LIGHTER m 
HORN )cr 
SPEAKER 
b 
FUEL la 
V 
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Your vehicle  has a light 
that  comes  on as a reminder 
to  buckle  up. (See “Safety 
Belt  Reminder Light” in 
the  Index.) 
In most states and Canadian provinces,  the law says  to 
wear safety  belts. Here’s why: 
They work. 
You never know  if you’ll be in a crash. If  you do  have  a 
crash,  you don’t know  if it  will  be  a bad one. 
A few crashes  are mild, and some  crashes can be so 
serious that even buckled  up a person wouldn’t survive. 
But  most  crashes  are  in  between.  In many of them, 
people who buckle up can  survive and sometimes 
walk  away.  Without belts  they could  have been badly 
hurt  or  killed. 
After more than 
25 years  of safety belts in vehicles, 
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling  up does 
matter 
... a  lot! 
Why  Safety  Belts  Work 
When  you ride  in or  on anything,  you go as fast as 
it  goes. 
Take the simplest vehicle.  Suppose it’s just  a seat 
on wheels. 
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How to Wear  Safety  Belts  Properly 
Adults 
This part is only  for people of adult  size. 
Be aware that  there 
are special things to know about 
safety belts and children. And there  are different rules 
for smaller  children  and babies. If a child will be 
riding in your  Pontiae, see the part  of this manual 
called “Children.” Follow  those rules 
for 
everyone’s  protection. 
First, you’ll want to know which restraint  systems your 
vehicle has. 
We’ll  start with  the driver position. 
Driver Position 
This  part describes  the driver’s restraint system. 
Lap-Shoulder Belt 
The  driver  has a lap-shoulder  belt. Here’s how to wear 
it  properly. 
I. Close and lock the  door. 
2. Adjust the  seat (to see how,  see “Seats” in the Index) 
so you  can sit up straight. 
3. Pick up the latch  plate and pull  the belt  across you. 
Don’t let it get twisted. 
The  shoulder belt  may 
lock if you pull the belt  across 
you  very quickly.  If this  happens,  let  the belt 
go back 
slightly 
to unlock it. Then  pull  the  belt  across you 
more slowly. 
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I A CAUTION: 
Air bags inflate  with great  force,  faster  than  the 
blink of an  eye. If you’re  too  close  to an  inflating 
air  bag, 
it could  seriously  injure you.  Safety  belts 
help  keep  you  in position  before  and  during a 
crash.  Always  wear your safety  belt,  even  with 
air 
bags. The driver  should sit as far back as possible 
while  still  maintaining control 
of the vehicle. 
SRS AIR BAG 
There  is  an air  bag  readiness 
light  on the  instrument 
panel,  which  shows SRS 
AIR BAG. 
An inflating air bag can  seriously  injure small 
children.  Always  secure children properly  in your 
vehicle. 
To read  how,  see the  part of this manual 
called  Whildren”  and  the  caution label on the 
right  front  passenger’s  safety  belt. 
The system checks the air bag electrical system for 
malfunctions.  The light  tells 
you if there  is  an electrical 
problem.  See  “Air Bag Readiness Light”  in 
the Index 
I for more information. 
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        Page 38 of 419
Rear Seat Outside  Passenger  Positions 
Lap-Shoulder Belt 
The positions next  to the windows  have lap-shoulder 
belts.  Here’s  how 
to wear  one properly. 
1.  Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Don’t  let 
it get twisted. 
The shoulder belt may  lock if you pull the belt across 
you  very  quickly. 
If this happens,  let the belt go back 
slightly 
to unlock it. Then  pull the belt across  you 
more  slowly. 
2. Push the latch plate  into the buckle until  it clicks. 
Pull 
up on  the latch plate to make  sure  it is secure. 
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5. Select one side of the harness. Add some slack to the 
shoulder part  by pulling up on the  lap part.  You’ll 
keep most 
of this  slack  until you finish  Step 9. 
6. Feed a small amount of harness  slack back into 
the slot. 
7. Twist the harness slightly  to remove it from the slot. 
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8. Move the harness  up or down to the correct slot.  The 
correct slot  is the  one  that will be at  or just  above the 
top 
of the child’s shoulder. 
9. Twist the hamess slightly  to ruute  it through  the 
. correct slot. 
10. Pull on  the  harness.  Make  sure it is properly  routed 
11. Repeat Steps 5 through 10 for the other side  of 
and isn’t twisted or 
flipped over. 
the harness.  Be  sure both  sides 
are adjusted  to 
the same height. 
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        Page 71 of 419

Safety  Belt  Extender 
If the  vehicle’s safety  belt  will fasten around you,  you 
should use  it. 
But 
if a  safety  belt isn’t  long  enough  to  fasten,  your 
dealer will order  you an extender.  It’s free.  When you 
go 
in to  order it, take the  heaviest  coat you will  wear, so the 
extender  will be long enough  for you.  The extender will 
be  just  for you, and  just  for  the seat in your vehicle  that 
you  choose. Don’t  let someone  else  use  it,  and use  it 
only for the seat  it  is made  to  fit.  To wear it,  just attach  it 
to  the  regular safety belt. 
Checking  Your Restraint  Systems 
Now and then, make  sure  the safety belt reminder light 
and all your  belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and 
anchorages  are working properly. 
If your vehicle  has  a 
built-in  child restraint, also periodically make  sure  the 
harness  straps, latch plates,  buckle,  clip, retractors and 
anchorages  are working properly. 
Look for any  other 
loose  or damaged safety  belt and built-in  child restraint 
system parts.  If you  see anything that might keep  a 
safety belt  or  built-in child restraint  system from doing 
its  job,  have  it  repaired. 
Torn  or frayed  safety belts may not protect  you in a 
crash.  They can  rip  apart under impact forces. 
If a  belt is 
torn or frayed,  get a  new one right  away. 
If your vehicle has the built-in  child  restraint,  torn or 
frayed harness straps can  rip  apart under impact forces 
just  like  torn or frayed safety belts  can. They  may not 
protect  a child  in a  crash. 
If a  harness  strap  is  torn or 
frayed,  get  a  new harness right away. 
Also look  for any opened  or broken  air bag  covers, and 
have them repaired  or  replaced. 
(The air bag system 
does  not need regular maintenance.) 
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